As part of efforts to close the gender gap in technology and bolster female participation, the Eko Innovation Centre (EIC) has partnered with Africa Agility and Impact Lagos to train 10,000 girls in tech in Lagos over the next five years.
Tagged “Girls in Tech Bootcamp Lagos”, the second edition of the program held this weekend at the Eko Innovation Centre, which was attended by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu.
Also in attendance at the event were Victor Gbenga, Founder, Eko Innovation Centre; Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture; Tunbosun Alake, Special Adviser, Innovation and Technology to the Governor of Lagos State; and Aanu Gopald, Founder, Africa Agility.
The event showcased the widespread impact that the Eko Innovation Centre has achieved since it commenced operations within the state. It also showcased Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to innovation and technological development in the state.
Speaking on the Girls in Tech initiative, Victor Gbenga, Founder of the Eko Innovation Centre, explained that the program is aimed at democratising opportunities for women in tech.
This year we have partnered with Africa Agility to equip the Nigerian female youth with the necessary digital skills they need to access opportunities in tech and business. We trained 100 girls last year and another 100 this year as part of the Girls in Tech initiative.
Victor Gbenga, Founder of the Eko Innovation Centre
“These ladies include undergraduates, unemployed and single mothers with no previous IT skills. We groomed them for about a month in the bootcamp which ended with a 3-day hackathon where they proffered tech-enabled solutions around the Lagos T.H.E.M.E.S agenda,” he added.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu lauded the work of the centre, stressing that the Girls in Tech bootcamp is empowering females that would develop the technology necessary to leapfrog present-day challenges and transform Lagos into a smart city.
The Governor also promised to donate free laptops and tablets to the 100 girls that took part in the second cohort of the program.
Whether it’s tablets or laptops, each of the girls will certainly get one. For me, that becomes a working tool that they can take forward with the learning and skills they will acquire further down the line.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Eko Innovation Centre focuses broadly on civic tech, working to drive social impact by developing tech solutions to problems faced by governments at state and regional levels. These include innovations such as those developed at the Lagos smart meter hackathon held last year.
On her own part, Africa Agility founder, Aanu Gopald stated that the goal of the Girls in Tech bootcamp is to train 10,000 girls in the next five years.
According to her, up to 38 of the 100 participants in this year’s bootcamp have secured jobs, 7 have gone ahead to set up their businesses while a few others work as freelancers.
The innovative solutions presented by the girls at the event include a telemedicine platform for virtual doctor appointments and a traffic management system called Track4me.
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